News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-04-14
THE EARTHQUAKE AT NICE.
What an American Has to Say About
1t.

A gentleman in Nice during the earth
! quake thus describes in the Baltimore
| Sun some of the scenes he witnessed
| Balls were held all over the city, but
there were 90, 600 people at the one great
/ ball of the night. [ went to that ball
and it was very late when I reached
/ home. 1 was quartered in the third floor
of the Grand Hotel. Though it was
nearly daylight [ could not sleep, and so
( lay in bed reading a book. Suddenly
and without warning a roar more ter
rible than a tornado came. A thousand
mines seemed exploding under the floor
and a thousand trains of cars seemed
rolling over the roof. The noise was
| indescribable. It seemed as if the world
were being ground to pieces and the
city with it. The first shock threw me
into the middle of the floor, which tipped
up ike the roof of house. I tried to
walk, bat was pitched headlong across
the room. The bed rolled from side to
side, and l went after. ] was shaken as
a strong man shakes Il boy. As soon as
[ could master myself | managed by a
great effort to reach the door leading
into Mr.. Burke's room adjoining. 1t
was locked. l kicked and pounded, but
his voice. / shouted as loud us [ could,
and yelled that it was an earthquake
that we must fly to the street. We burst
open the double doors, and in some way,
[ don't know how, got down stairs,
while the great walls, ten feet thick,
were cracking with artillery reports.
The scenes in the corridors and ON the
floor below us were like a riot in a mad
house. Beautiful women, with long
hair streaming down their backs, rushed
wildly around, beseeching the porters
to save them. One woman appeared
with a bird cage and two canaries. The
birds were so frightened that they hung
backs downward from the cage with
their eyes closed. Having experienced
earthquakes in San Francisco, thought
/ was familiar with them, but at Nice
the horror was beyond description. On
the street the people lost their heads. |
Fifty dollars We're offered for any kind !
of a vehicle. Hundreds of ladies IN their |
night garments fell on their knees be- |
fore great rough porters more fright
ened than themselves. Money could |
not hire them to go into the buildings
for trunks. We dragged down our own
luggage and saved everything. Twenty |
thousand people packed the public
square.
The second shock was more terrible |
than the first. To tell the truth, could |
not remember whether it was two sec
onds or two hours after the first shock. |
But it was a fearful convulsion. Then
the panic became general. Think of it
20, 900 people trying to dodge 10000
buildings [ expected every moment to
see the city all in ruins. New York
could not stand a minute under such
shocks. The great blocks of public
buildings rose and fell like ships in a
storm. The motion was unlike anything
moved by natural laws. GravitatiOn
seemed entirely suspended during the
throes. My feet would be in the air and
in a moment later I could see the tops
of four-story houses as they leaned over
on the earth-billows sweeping across the |
city.
Fortunately for us, Mr.. Burke and
myself had purchased tickets for Paris
on the previous day. At the station we
found $4,000 people praying to go on
the next train. The cars holding seventy
but a multitude who were out
side could not get near the train. As
high as 1000 francs were offered for a
place on the train. The first earth |
quake shock came Mt o'clock At 9 /
o'clock word was received by telegraph /.
that another shock from Rome or some .
other point would reach Nice in an
hour. This created a fresh panic. Men
n excitement shouldered half-dressed
thinking they We're trunks.
Women ran around trying to save little
utterly bereft of sense or judg-
nent, and imploring the guards to put
hem on the cars. The morning train
lid not get off until noon Then [ was
happy. An earthquake changes a mans
nature. I did not care if the town sank
with everybody in it if I could only get
lNyav